KENZINER
"The
Prophecies" (Metal Blade / Leviathan; 2000)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
"The Prophecies" is the kind of CD that's going to irritate the hell out of some people, but thrill just as many others.
A sometimes maddening, sometimes engaging combination of melodic power metal and plain ol' AOR rock, "The Prophecies" will annoy fans of less heavy, AOR fare because it often rocks harder and faster than that genre does. And fans of melodic power metal will no doubt decry the heavy use of keyboards here.
The gruff nature of vocalist Stephen Fredrick may also cause some division in the ranks. Some will say Fredrick's soaring yet growling vocals don't fit the music at all. Others may say that it gives the music an additional edge.
Personally, I found the combination engaging throughout. While there's nothing on this CD that truly stands out, there's nothing here that's awful either. It's a consistently entertaining CD and that's enough for me.
"The Prophecies" was produced by the legendary David T. Chastain.
Kenziner: Brian Harris - drums; Jarno Keskinen - electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards; Stephen Fredricks - vocals; Mikko Harkin - keyboards.
For more information, check out www.kenziner.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2005 by R. Scott Bolton. All
rights reserved.
Revised: 15 Apr 2024 16:55:53 -0400
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